Foundation of the Pre-Socratic Schools
The Pre-Socratic schools, including the Milesian, Pythagorean, and Eleatic schools, were established. These early thinkers focused on cosmology, metaphysics, and the nature of being.
500 BCE
400 BCE
Socrates and the Birth of Classical Philosophy
Socrates' method of dialectical questioning laid the foundation for the Classical period of Greek philosophy, influencing his students Plato and Xenophon.
387 BCE
Plato's Academy
Plato founded the Academy in Athens, one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in the Western world, where he taught his philosophical doctrines.
335 BCE
Aristotle's Lyceum
Aristotle, a student of Plato, established the Lyceum in Athens, where he developed his own philosophical system, covering a broad range of topics including logic, metaphysics, ethics, and natural sciences.
300 BCE
Hellenistic Schools: Stoicism, Epicureanism, Skepticism
The Hellenistic period saw the rise of new philosophical schools such as Stoicism, founded by Zeno of Citium, Epicureanism by Epicurus, and Skepticism by Pyrrho.
300 CE
Neoplatonism
Plotinus founded Neoplatonism, a philosophical system that sought to synthesize Plato's ideas with other philosophical and religious traditions.
800
Medieval Scholasticism
Scholasticism became the dominant philosophical method in medieval Europe, combining Christian theology with classical philosophy, particularly the works of Aristotle.
1600
Rationalism and Empiricism
The 17th century saw the rise of Rationalism, led by Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz, and Empiricism, led by Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, which laid the groundwork for modern philosophy.
1781
Kant's Critique of Pure Reason
Immanuel Kant published "Critique of Pure Reason," which sought to reconcile Rationalism and Empiricism and established his critical philosophy.
1807
Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit
G.W.F. Hegel published "Phenomenology of Spirit," presenting his dialectical method and influencing subsequent philosophical movements such as Marxism and existentialism.
1844
Marx's Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts
Karl Marx wrote the "Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts," laying the foundation for Marxist philosophy, which combined Hegelian dialectics with materialism.
1889
Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche published "Beyond Good and Evil," challenging traditional moral values and introducing the concept of the "will to power."
1927
Heidegger's Being and Time
Martin Heidegger published "Being and Time," a foundational text in existential philosophy, exploring the nature of being and human existence.
1943
Sartre's Being and Nothingness
Jean-Paul Sartre published "Being and Nothingness," a key work in existentialism, emphasizing individual freedom and responsibility.
1951
Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations
Ludwig Wittgenstein's "Philosophical Investigations" was published posthumously, profoundly influencing the philosophy of language and mind.
1962
Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Thomas Kuhn published "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," introducing the concept of paradigm shifts in scientific progress.
1980
Rawls' A Theory of Justice
John Rawls' "A Theory of Justice" became a seminal work in political philosophy, introducing the idea of justice as fairness.
1996
Nussbaum's The Fragility of Goodness
Martha Nussbaum published "The Fragility of Goodness," exploring ancient Greek philosophy and its relevance to contemporary ethical issues.
2001
Zizek's The Ticklish Subject
Slavoj Zizek published "The Ticklish Subject," blending psychoanalysis, Marxism, and philosophy to critique contemporary ideology.
2020
The Rise of New Materialism
New Materialism emerged as a significant philosophical movement, emphasizing the agency of matter and challenging traditional dualisms.
